Ballot printing may finished next week–Comelec

Commissioner Grace Padaca inspects sample ballots being printed at the National Printing Office in Quezon City. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has only less than 10 million ballots left to print with more than a month to go before the May 2013 midterm elections.

Director James Jimenez of the Comelec Education and Information Department told reporters that printing of ballots could be finished anytime this week or next week.

“[There’s] less than 10 million to go, and we expect to finish that hopefully within this week up to middle of next week,” Jimenez said.

Comelec Commissioner Grace Padaca said in her Twitter account @gracempadaca that “44 MILLION ballots printed, 8 MILLION to go, as of Friday March 23, for the nation’s 52 MILLION registered voters.”

The National Printing Office (NPO) is responsible for the printing of ballot. It started its task early February with Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. expressing confidence the printing would be finished early.